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RT18DKXHW00 Roper Refrigerator - Instructions

All installation instructions for RT18DKXHW00 parts

These instructions have been submitted by other PartSelect customers and can help guide you through the refrigerator repair with useful information like difficulty of repair, length of repair, tools needed, and more.

The frost free feature of the freezer was freezing over with ice and cooling coils were being insulated with thickening frost which caused the cooling air to rise in temperature from -5 degrees to 20 degrees.

I troubleshot the problem by reading the electrical schematic and concluding the heating elements (defrost cables) were either defective or the bi-metal temp sensor was open. When closed the temp sensor completes the circuit for the current to flow through the heaters to defrost the cooling coils every 8 hours and then when the bimetal opens at 55 degrees the circuit is open and the coils are cooled because the refridgeration motor is in run mode. A timer between the motor and heater elements also was defective. The timer controls the cooling period and the defrost period. I ohmed out each part according to the spec sheet of normal resistance of parts and thus the bimetal and timer were defective. I gather a surge of some duration and amplitude affected these parts because a storm 24 hours prior to refridgerator problem had passsed through the area and the AC electrical power had oscillated several times during that event. I used hand tools to do the repair. If you are not mechanically inclined a step by step proceedure would be moot. It is a matter of disassembly and assembly paying close attention to fragile parts.

My refrigerator is approximately seven years old (date of manufacture: 2001). I had come home twice in the last month to find that it had not been running for several hours (ice melted, milk spoiled, etc.) but it would start running again if I twisted the thermostat knob. So, I ordered a new thermostat. First I removed the 1/4" hex screw that held the plastic thermostat housing in place (it screws up into the top of the refrigerator compartment). Then I removed the plastic thermostat knob and slid the old thermostat out of the housing. I then disconnected the wires one-by-one from the old thermostat and connected them to the new one so I could be certain they were all connected correctly. Finally, I pulled the plastic sheathing off the old sensor wire, slid it onto the new one and popped the wire back into place. Slide the thermostat back into the housing, screw the housing back into the top of the refrigerator compartment, replace the plastic thermostat knob, and the job is done.

Lights inside refrigerator not working

I used a flat-head screwdriver to pop out the old light rocker switch. Then, I unplugged the wires, plugged them into the new light rocker switch, and then popped the new switch into the hole. That's it! Lights began working again.

Light Would Not Go On In The Refrigerator

First I removed the old lightbulb from the socket and replaced it with a new one to confirm that the bulb was not the problem. I then pryed the socket out with a flat-head screwdriver. I could tell that the socket was anchored in its hole with clips so it was relatively easy to pry it out. Once the socket was out, I disconnected the lead wires and ordered a replacement socket kit from Partselect. When the new one arrived, I reconnected the lead wires to it, snapped it back into its hole, screwed in a new lightbulb, and presto!! The light was back on with no further problem. Thank you, Partselect!! A $15.00 part saved me what probably would have been at least a $100. service call and heaven knows what the technician would have told me I needed!!!

water dripping inside fridge due to drain hole being frozen over wiith ice.

first I diagnosed the problem with the whirlpool do-it-yourself repair manual, which was very easy to understand. as per the repair manual, "this part located on the evaporator or the back of the liner is used during the defrost cycle. This bimetal senses the temperature from the evaporator. When the temperature reaches 50-70 degrees (F) the defrost bimetal turnd the defrost heater off. " then I emptied the freezer. removed the the back panel to expose the evaporator. I looked for the bimetal defrost thermostat clipped on the evaporator. tested the bi-metal defrost thermostat, as per the manual, " the ohmmeter should show ZERO resistance (continuity). if not, the bimetal is bad and needs replacing." NOTE: the bimetal must be cold. it is also tested with the bimetal warm/hot, by running it under hot water. i used a styrofoam cup with hot water & dipped the bimetal in. as per the manual, " the ohmmeter should show an open circuit. if not, the bimetal is bad and needs replacing. then got online found partselect.com. ordered the part, recieved it in less than 2 days. within minutes after recieving the part, I removed the bimetal defrost thermostat and spliced in the new one. thanks to partselect.com my fridge is back up and running properly again. prior to installing the new bimetal, i tested it, as descibed above, you can hear & feel the bimetal open/close when it gets hot/cold.

Freezer Iced up, dripping water into refrigerator below

De-iced the refrigerator. Removed two screws from the thermostat panel on the upper refrigerator section. Tilted it down, removed two speed nuts holding the timer, unplugged the timer plug. Determined from the instruction sheet (easy to follow) what time delay function is used, based on wire colors, placed the jumper on the correct terminal on the new timer. Plugged it in, replaced the speed nuts and screws. The timer fit perfect, works just like it is supposed to, quick easy job.

Defrost timer was faulty. Required a mild tap to restart

Trouble shot the electrical circuit per the electrical schematic and zeroed in when I noted the Defrost Timer circuit was open. When I tapped on the bottom of the timer it began functioning normally (for a few days). Ordered a new Defrost Timer Kit and along with the installation instruction, I watched the on-line video. It was very helpful!! After installation was complete, I plugged the Refrigerator into the electrical outlet and.......nothing happened! Hmmm!

Removed the Defrost Time Kit and inspected it for any damage and found none. Then I placed a flathead screwdriver to the manual advance knob and slightly rotate the gear mechanism. I heard a distance "click”. I believe the Timer was in the ‘defrost’ mode when received.

I reinstalled the timer, verified the wiring connections and this time plugged the Refrigerator into the electrical outlet and ….. it worked!!!

I unplugged the refrigerator, finished the installation per the instructions, plugged the unit in and monitored it for a few hours (just in case). That was a week ago and the Refrigerator is working like new.

The instructions were written in a manner which required re-reading a few times as they could be a bit vague. The video was what really helped and I appreciate PartSelect adding it to the instructions.

Believed the condensor motor was defective and causing strange odor

First disconnected the quick release electrical connection. Then loosened the three screws that were holding the motor in the bracket. However, space is limited and even with small hands it was rather difficult as the screws were in there very tight. There are a few sharp edges on the bracket and in the surrounding area of the motor area, and nicked myself a couple of times. Removed the fan blade from the old motor and attached it the new motor with the old flat washer/screw. Reconnected the electrical connection and that was that. All-in-all an easy repair.

the motor bearing noise/vibration was amplified by the thin metal panel on the freezer's inside back wall. Fridge was making quite a racket. Removed interior shelf, icemaker and rolling tray on bottom of freezer. Shelf and tray pull right out, icemaker is a little trickier but disconnection is not that hard. the plastic piece covering the fan is actually a conduit for airflow from the refrigerator compartment and needs to be removed also. Then, removing the metal back panel reveals the fan and the evaporator coil. The replacement of the fan is very straightforward at this point, couple of screws, couple of wires and thats done. I installed a soft rubber mat cut to size on the inside surface of the back panel with some tape to hold it in place (Used a shower floor non-slip woven rubber type mat - couple of bucks at the grocery store.) Reinstalled panel, duct/cover, tray and shelf. Icemaker was not hooked to water supply anyway so I omitted re-installing that. No more noisy fridge!

took out the bottom glass shelf to clean and it just exploded on me when I went to dry it.

Glass sheet came in perfect condition, just put back in refrigerator and has been fine ever since. Not the first time I had ever taken out to clean, but it will be the last. From now on, I clean it in the refrigerator.

Freezer was cold, refrigerator was not.

After noticing my freezer was ice cold and the refrigerator was luke warm, I figured there was an airflow problem due to either a fan that failed or the evaporator coil iced over. Just by opening the freezer door I could hear the fan blowing so it had to be the evap coil. Sure enough after removing a couple screws and the back panel I saw the ice. I then unplugged the frige to let it thaw overnight. In the morning I inspected the coil and luckily noticed right away that this little piece didn't look right. The top of the bi-metal thermostat was raised up. Almost like it popped. I read the other reviews on this website reffering to using an ohm meter to see if it held continuity. Well it didn't because the piece really did "pop". The wire was severed. So the ohm reader read open even if the piece was warm. I ordered the part and in days was able to replace the part. NOTE TO BUYER. It did not come with electrical connecting nuts or whatever they are called. So you'll have to go to the hardware store and pick some up for about $2. Frige works fine now. Thanks parts select.

I saved my Whirlpool Refrigerator (Model ET21GKXHN00) and learned a lesson. Don’t put off cleaning the refrigerant coils underneath the refrigerator. I replaced the refrigerator about 10 years ago and began to notice that the sound of this one running had changed slightly. I remembered that’s what happened to the first one just before it died. I removed the panel on the bottom front and saw that the refrigerant coils were covered with dust. It was really bad. I vacuumed them with the “radiator attachment” on the vacuum cleaner and plugged the refrigerator back in. It still didn’t sound right and I couldn’t feel the air blowing out like it should. So I rolled the refrigerator out and removed the back lower cover to see the compressor and the cooling fan. The fan was clogged with dust so I vacuumed that as well. But the fan wouldn’t spin freely by hand. The fan motor only had 3 screws holding it onto the plastic fan bezel and was easily removed by unsnapping the electrical connector on the motor. I removed the fan motor and tried to clean it with a few drops of WD40 on the shaft. But when I put it all back and plugged it in the fan just barely started turning. I unplugged the refrigerator and ordered the fan motor from PartSelect.Com (Item Number PS371043). The picture looked exactly like the motor that was in my refrigerator. I threw everything away in the refrigerator, cleaned it out and left it unplugged until the motor came. The motor arrived in a few days and it looked exactly like the one I had removed. It had the same electrical specifications stamped on the back and the electrical connector was the same and in the same location on the motor. I put the fan blade on the new motor and installed it exactly like the old one was. It only took 15 minutes or so and was very easy to install. When I plugged the refrigerator in the compressor started right away and so did the fan. It ran like a champ. In a few hours the refrigerator got cold and began to cycle on and off like normal and the fan blows like new. The sound is normal and the total running sound is quiet again like a new refrigerator. So for $84.67 I saved my $1300 refrigerator and learned not to neglect checking the build up of dust in the compressor fan section. I’m sure that’s what happens to most of the refrigerators people put out for trash pickup in front of their houses. The cause of the problem is when air flow is restricted across the refrigerant coils too much heat returns to the compressor and eventually causes the compressor to fail. I appreciate that we live in a time when you can order exactly what you need on the internet and make home repairs when you need to. Thanks Part Select for sending me the correct part. It’s nice to have milk and cold drinks again.

Timer "clicking", indicating worn gears

1. Unplug refrigerator to remove power!2. The timer is inside the control housing located at the top of the refrigerator compartment.3. Remove two control knobs (the pull off).4. Remove the front panel escutcheon. The panel is not held in place with screws, but can be gently pried off.5. Remove two screws from the back that hold the housing in place.6. Remove screws from the front that hold the housing in place.7. Drop housing down (still attached by wires - do not detach). Timer is inside housing, located on right.8. Follow the instructions provided to identify your particular wiring setup. You'll find the wiring diagram (on my model) at the bottom of the refrigerator, alongside the defrost catch pan, behind the airflow grille.9. Remove connector from timer terminals (4).10. Remove two screws/nuts that hold the timer in place.11. Install replacement timer following included directions. Read and follow ALL instructions applicable to your particular model and wiring setup.12. Reassemble by reversing the steps above.13. Note: You may need to "jog" the replacement timer when you first plug the refrigerator back in, if the timer happens to be in a "defrost cycle" (the compressor won't start). This can be done by inserting a wide bladed screwdriver into the hole below the timer, aligning it with the timer shaft, and slightly turning the shaft CW. Don't force it, and don't turn it very far.